Topics
Planning Detail
A plan is basically the route-map through the Programme or Project from start to finish. Depending on what the plan is for, the level of detailed required in the plan can vary. Plans are resource intensive in terms of their creation and maintenance so it is important to give the right level of detail to the right audience. There is little point, for example, in providing the departmental steering committee with a detailed plan for building an ICT network infrastructure; the plan appropriate for them may well just have one line item for this task, with little other detail. Typically, plans may be produced at the following levels:
- Overarching portfolio or strategy level plan;
- Programme plan;
- Programme tranche plan;
- Project plan;
- Stage plan;
- Team plan; and
- Individual plan.
The level of detail shown in the plan will be greatest at the lower (individual) plans and will become less detailed in the upper levels (project, programme & overarching programme/portfolio).
At Programme level, a summary of the main contents would be:
- Project timescales, costs, outputs & dependencies;
- All risks & assumptions;
- A schedule showing the programme’s tranches and project milestones;
- A transition plan through to ‘Business as Usual’; and
- Monitoring & control activities plus relevant performance targets.
In a Project environment Planning is driven by the products and services being produced or delivered by the Project. Programme plans are partly an aggregate of the associated Project level plans and partly a reflection of the strategic context for the programme. At Project level, the following steps would be typical:
- Define and describe the major products & services;
- Identify activities to develop the products & services;
- Define the sequence (order) of identified activities;
- Visualise the sequence (in a network type diagram) including inter-dependencies;
- Estimate the duration and effort required for each activity;
- Identify the ‘critical path’ (by taking a second pass through the network diagram);
- Analyse and minimise the resources required and resolve any resourcing conflicts;
- Identify major and minor decision points; and
- Decide on milestone and review points.
The main roles and responsibilities associated with Programme and Project Planning are illustrated below.
Programme Planning
| Role | Main Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) | Approving the programme plan and leading monitoring activities, including end-tranche reviews. Reviews should measure programme performance in terms of benefits realised & outcomes achieved |
| Programme Manager | Designing & implementing the programme plan, monitoring and control of resources. Must work closely with the Business Change Manager to ensure that the programme plan, benefits realisation plan and benefit profiles are consistent and up to date |
| Business Change Manager | Managing the transition to business as usual, works closely with the programme manager on defining the project portfolio (ie the group of projects that make up the programme). Works with benefit owners to ensure the transition aligns with the required benefits realisation |
| Programme Management Office | Supports the programme manager in developing and implementing planning & control processes. Also responsible for collecting, updating and publishing measurement data as part of the ongoing programme communications activities. Also ensures that defined planning standards are being adhered to across the programme (ie in all its projects) |
Project Planning
| Role | Main Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) | Ensures that the project has a coherent set of plans at the appropriate levels. Approval of plans including any proposed changes to scope, cost or timescale. Monitoring impact of plan changes on the business case. Monitoring stage/project progress against agreed tolerances |
| Project Board | Responsible for the decision making process supporting project plan creation. Approval of all stage and project plans including exception plans and all associated resource, time and cost implications |
| Project Manager | Prepare project & stage plans and monitor & update regularly. Liaise with the programme manager on relevant planning issues. Alert the SRO/project board to any potential exception conditions and prepare exception plans as required |
| Project Management Office | Administer project change control procedures. Maintain planning standards and procedures. Update and maintain all project, stage, team and other relevant plans under the direction of the project manager. Provide advice & guidance on practical matters associated with plans eg use of planning support tools such as MS Project |
